Kumar Yogesh, Akula Srinu, Kibena-Põldsepp Elo, Käärik Maike, Kozlova Jekaterina, Kikas Arvo, Aruväli Jaan, Kisand Vambola, Leis Jaan, Tamm Aile, Tammeveski Kaido
Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Materials (Basel). 2023 Jul 20;16(14):5105. doi: 10.3390/ma16145105.
Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZAB) have gained significant attention as potential energy storage devices due to their high energy density, cost-effectiveness, and to the fact that they are environmentally safe. However, the practical implementation of RZABs has been impeded by challenges such as sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), including poor cyclability. Herein, we report the preparation of cobalt- and nitrogen-doped porous carbon derived from phloroglucinol-formaldehyde polymer networks with 2-methyl imidazole and cobalt phthalocyanine as precursors for nitrogen and cobalt. The CoN-PC-2 catalyst prepared in this study exhibits commendable electrocatalytic activity for both ORR and OER, evidenced by a half-wave potential of 0.81 V and of 1.70 V. Moreover, the catalyst demonstrates outstanding performance in zinc-air batteries, achieving a peak power density of 158 mW cm and displaying excellent stability during charge-discharge cycles. The findings from this study aim to provide valuable insights and guidelines for further research and the development of hierarchical micro-mesoporous carbon materials from polymer networks, facilitating their potential commercialisation and widespread deployment in energy storage applications.
可充电锌空气电池（RZAB）因其高能量密度、成本效益以及环境安全性而作为潜在的能量存储设备受到了广泛关注。然而，诸如缓慢的氧还原反应（ORR）和析氧反应（OER）等挑战，包括循环性能差，阻碍了可充电锌空气电池的实际应用。在此，我们报道了以间苯三酚-甲醛聚合物网络为原料，2-甲基咪唑和钴酞菁作为氮和钴的前驱体，制备钴和氮掺杂的多孔碳。本研究制备的CoN-PC-2催化剂对ORR和OER均表现出值得称赞的电催化活性，半波电位分别为0.81 V和1.70 V。此外，该催化剂在锌空气电池中表现出优异的性能，实现了158 mW cm的峰值功率密度，并在充放电循环中表现出出色的稳定性。本研究结果旨在为进一步研究以及从聚合物网络开发分级微介孔碳材料提供有价值的见解和指导方针，促进其在储能应用中的潜在商业化和广泛应用。
